September 28, 2007

Lane Hudson Doesn’t Want a Sex Change, And Neither Do We

Lane Hudson on ENDA, the HRC, and throwing transgenders under the bus:

While we should be celebrating a major advance [the Matthew Shepard Act] in the movement for equal rights, the celebration was considerably dampened by reports that Democratic Leadership in the House of Representatives was considering dropping trans-inclusive language from the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. The Washington Blade broke the story yesterday.

. . .

All of this boils down to whether we should sacrifice transgender inclusion in the ENDA legislation in order to pass a bill in the immediate future. For me, the answer is simple. No one should be left behind at the convenience of others. It is a moral obligation and a defining moment in the movement for equal rights under the law. …

. . .

Regarding the more comprehensive version of ENDA, every major organization advocating equal rights for LGBT America unequivocally and immediately expressed their opposition to dropping the trans-inclusive language and opposition to any bill not containing the language — every major organization except for the Human Rights Campaign.

There are conflicting reports as the action they will take. Some reports indicate a split between the staff and the board. …

. . .

That it appears they are questioning their policy of opposing the exclusion of transgender people from equality in the workplace is a very bad sign. …

Sapphocrat says:

It’s crunch time, kids. I don’t know about you, but I see one (and only one) good thing to come from this: It’s a test of our convictions. Are we LGB’s (and A’s) willing to stand with our transgender brothers and sisters, and risk losing ENDA altogether?

I am. I cannot accept anything less than full inclusion for TGs under ENDA. AFAIC, it’s all or nothing.

If ENDA passes without TG inclusion, it will be a pyrrhic victory.

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Posted by: Sapphocrat